14/06/2026
I want to get slightly off topic for a second.
A lot of you beautiful people have been messaging me about the current show I’m in with the Ōtaki Players. Is it suitable for all ages? Is there coarse language? What’s it actually about?
Jagged Little Pill is an Alanis Morissette musical, so it’s packed with those awesome songs that’ll take you straight back to the 90s 🖤
It follows the Healy family as they navigate life, relationships, addiction, identity, trauma, and all the messy things that happen when people stop pretending everything is okay. Because of the themes it explores, there are a few trigger warnings attached.
I’ve been in a few shows before now. An apostle in Jesus Christ Superstar. A suffragette in That Bloody Woman. Velma Kelly in Chicago. Those shows were brilliant fun, but they all involved a certain amount of pretending.
Jagged Little Pill is different.
It’s real.
The character I play, Mary Jane Healy, battles addiction and carries far more than anyone around her realises. While addiction isn’t part of my own story. Struggle is.
There are moments in this show where I don’t have to imagine what it feels like to be overwhelmed, exhausted, at rock bottom, hurting, or trying to hold everything together while convincing the world you’re fine. I can remember.
Different circumstances. Different battles. Same very human emotions. That’s what makes this show so powerful.
It doesn’t tell a story about perfect people. It tells a story about human beings. It’s raw. It’s super uncomfortable at times. It’s funny. It’s heartbreaking. It’s hopeful.
And if you’ve ever found yourself at rock bottom, rebuilding, carrying things quietly, or wondering how much longer you could keep all the balls in the air… there’s a good chance you’ll recognise a little bit of yourself somewhere in it too.
So yes, there are some difficult themes. But there is also healing, connection, understanding, and one hell of a soundtrack.
I honestly think it’s one of the most important stories I’ve ever had the privilege of helping tell. 🖤
So, should you go?! Hell yes!
July. Ōtaki Players.
Be there or be square!
Link to tickets in comments
